The government-led Young Khateebs Programme has produced four young Imams for an island, bolstering efforts to ease the shortage of Imams in the Maldives, the Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed has said.
Minister Dr Shaheem on X said the Ministry had been forced to bring in Imams to lead the Friday prayers in Feridhoo, Alifu Atoll before the four graduates from the Khateebs programme had been designated for the island.
The four young Imams mentioned by the Minister hail from Feridhoo and had been trained as part of the third batch of Young Khateebs Programme. The four Imams, Ahmed Afad Basheer, Mohamed Ayan Ahmed Shathir, Ahmed Yasin Abdulla and Mohamed Mifzal Ahmed had been leading prayers in Feridhoo under a special permit prior to their graduation.
The lack of Imams had been a cause for major concern for the 525 resident population in Feridhoo. The Local Council in Feridhoo had been forced to spend thousands every year to bring in Imams to lead Friday prayers in the two mosques on the island.
The Ministry aims to train 1,000 young Khateebs within the next five years.